Railway-crossing gate



.1,533,722 T. M. BLACKWELL RAILWAY CROSSING GATE Filed Nov.

Apri114,1925. 1,533,722

T. M. BLACKWELL RAILWAY CROSSING GATE Filed Nov. 22, 1924 3 sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

` UNITED STATES THOMAS MITCHELL BLACKWELL, `O13' BASIC CITY, VIRGINIA.

RAILWAY-CROSSING GATE.

"Application filed November '22, 1924.

' 'To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THoMAs MITCHELL BLAcnwELL, a citizen of the United States,

residing at Basic City, in the county of Augusta and State of Virglnia, have 1n- Ivented a new and useful Railway-Crossing Gate, of which the following is a specificaA tion.

This invention relates to railway crossing gates and aims to provide novel means Awhereby the gates at arailway crossing may be automatically operated by a train moving in proximity thereto.

Another important object of the invention is to provide means whereby the gates `will be raised and lowered slowly eliminating any possibility of damage to the gate structure by allowing` the gate to drop suddenly.

Another object of the invention is to provide-means for returning the gates to their inactive positions, after a train has passed` the crossing.

With Vthe foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention .resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de scribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the inven` tion. Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view disclosing gates and operating means constructed in accord-V ance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a sideelevational view thereo t.

Figure `3 isa sectional view taken on line of Figure2. Figure' 4.-V is an enlarged of the operating members.

their open positions.

Figure G is a side elevational view of one of the gates and operating means.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the gate supporting shaft and latch controlling shaft.

Figure S is a sectional view through the bell employed-as a signal at the gate for warning persons of an approaching train.

Referring to the drawings in detail, theA reference character o indicates the rails of detail view of one' Serial No. 751,635.

a railway track and the reference character G indicates a roadway over which the rails cross.

The gate supporting shaft is indicated at 'Tand is mounted in bearing members S that arcifsecured to one of the ties on which the rails of the tiackaie positioned.` VThe gateswhich are indicated at 9 have one of their respective ends secured to the shaft 7 to move with the shaft so that when the operating mechanism to be hereinafter more fully described is operated tov move the shaft, the gates will be automatically moved` to their open or closedipositions.

Each gate embodies a relatively long arm 9A and a short arm 10 extending at right angles thereto, the short arm l0 being formed with openings 11 to accommodate the shaft 7 for securing the gates to the shaft.

Pivotally mounted at the outer end of each gate 9 is an arm 12 formed with ak foot 13 which is adapted to `move downwardly with the gate and rest on the ground surface to support the outer end of the gate.

A locking disk `indicated at 14 is also mounted on the shaft 7 and as shown is formed with a notch disposed in its periphery to be engaged by the right angled end of the latch -member 15, which latch memberis secured to the latch controlling rodl which has its opposite end connected to the Figure 5 is an elevational view disclosing themeans: for normally lockmgthe gates inf lower end of the arm 19 of the gate releasing member at 20, theyarm 19 being formed. with an opening to accommodate the pin 21-r whereby the gate releasing'l member may be pivotally supported adjacent to the gate.

This gate releasing member also includes a shoe engaging portion 22 and a downvThe coiled spring 25 is positioned on the ref" duced end 25 of the ycurved portion 23,0f the gate releasing member and is held in `arm 19 will be moved to movethe shaft 15 and latch member 15, supported at one end thereof. rlhe operatingmember is adapted to be engaged by the arm 27 that is carried by the train, the arm being pivotally supported in such a way that upon reverse movement of the train carrying the arm, the arm will be swung rearwardly to pass freely over the operating member.

lThe gate operating mechanism includes a supporting bar 28 provided with upwardly extended bearings 29 that support sprocket wheels 8O over which the chain 31 operates. Supported .adjacent to the sprocket 30 and mounted to operate therewith is a relatively small sprocket 32 that transmits motion to the sprocket 33 through the chain 34, the sprocket 33 being supported on a shaft mounted in a suitable opening formed in the arm 35.

The sprocket wheel 36 is also mounted adjacent to the sprocket 35 and transmits movementto the sprocket 87, through the chain 38. The sprocket 39 is mounted at one end of shaft 7 and receives motion from the relatively small sprocket 40 through chain 41. Thus it will be seen that movement of the chain 31 is transmitted to the shaft 7 to move the gates supported thereon to their inactive positions, the reduction in the gearing being such as to cause the shaft to move slowly to the end that the gates will be gradually lifted.

Supported by the chain 31 and extend ing upwardly therefrom is an arm 42 that lies in the path of travel of the arm 27 carried by the train to the end that the arm 42 will be engaged by the arm 27 and carried forwardly to operate the chain 31.

The gate operating mechanism as described is designed for moving the gates to their inactive position when a train passing over the tracks, and moving in one direction, has passed the road crossing.

'.It is to be understoed that at the opposite side of thetrack', a gate operating mechanism identical with that described is employed for moving the gates to their open or inactive positions, by a train moving 1n the opposite direction, with the exception of the provision of a pulley 43 which is carried by the sprocket 37 of this operating mechanism. Movement of the pulley 43 is transmitted to the shaft 7, by means of the pulley 44 and flexible member 45.

The gate releasing member at this side of -the road crossing is identical with that described, and it is believed that further de tail description of this structure is unneces-` sary,l however it might be added that a cable 46 has connection with the arm 19 of secured to the rod 15 so that movement of the arm 51 will produce a relative movement of the rod 15. As an operating arm of a train moves over the shoe at this side of the road crossing, it will be obvious thatV the latch memberrwill be operated to release the gates and allow them to swing downwardly, under their own weights.

A iiexible member indicated at 52 is secured to one of the gates as clearly shown by Figure 2 of the drawings, the intermediate portion thereof passing over the roller 53. A weight 54 is carried at the free end of the flexible member 52 to cause the flexible member 52 to be returned to its normal position as the gates move upwardly.

This flexible member 52 also acts to operate the tappers 54 which are mounted on one end of the shaft 55 that carries the roller 53, the tappers 54 being shown as operating within the bell 56, so that as the shaft 55 is rotated, the bell will be sounded tosignal to persons approaching the railwa Y crossing that the gates are being lowere and a train is nearing the crossing.

Adjustable weights 60 are mountedl on the gates 9 and are adapted to overbalance the y gates to cause them to move when the latch terns will swing Idown to a position to be clearly visible.

In the operation of the device, assuming that a train is moving in the direction of the arrows as indicated by Figure 2 of the drawings, it will be obvious that the arm. 27 will move into engagement with the latch releasing member, to the end that the same will be depressed, Vmoving the shaft 15 in a manner to elevate the latch member out of en' gagement with the disk 14, whereupon the.

gates may swing downwardly under their weights. y

As the train passes the road crossing, the arm 27 will engagel vthe arm 42 carried by the chain at one side of the road crossing,

to the end that the chain 31 will be operated to move the shaftr 7 and gates supported thereby, causing the gates to take an open position. f i

It will ,be seen that .on the movement of use a train in a directionopposite to the direction indicated by the arrows, the latch 0perating mechanism at the opposite side of the track, and the gate operating mechanism at the opposite side of the track Will be operated to accomplish the result as described.

fhile I have shown and 'described a gate employed on a single track, it is to be understood that With slight changes, the device may be eiiiciently employed in operating gatesl adjacent to crossings, or double tracks Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1. A gate operating mechanism including a gate supportingshaft, a disk eccentrically mounted on the shaft and having a notch portion, a latch member disposed Within the notched portion for holding the shaft normally against movement, train controlled means for operating the latch member to release the shaft to permit the gates supported thereby to move to their active positions, and gate controlled means for returning the shaft and gates to their normal positions.

2. A gate operating mechanism including a gate supporting shaft, a disk eccentrically mounted on the shaft and having a notch portion, a latch member adapted to engage Within the notched portion to hold the shaft against movement, the friction member adapted to engage the disk to retard movement of the shaft and gate supported thereby, and train controlled means for operating the shaft to return the shaft and gates to their inactive positions. l

3. A gate operating mechanism including a gate supporting shaft, a latch member,

ieans carried by the shaft and engaged by the latch member to normally prevent rotation of the shaft, train controlled means for releasing the latch member, and means for retarding movement of the shaft.

4. A gate operating mechanism including a gate supporting shaft, gates on the shaft, a disk on the shaft, a latch member cooperating with the disk to normally prevent movement of the shaft, a latch operating member supported adjacent to a railway rail and adapted to be engaged by a depending arm carried by the train passing thereover, to move the latch operating member, and means for connecting the latchand latch operating member to release the gates and permit them to move totheir closed positions.

In testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. Y

THOMAS MITCHELL BLACKWELL.

IVitnesses:

R. G. VANCE, IV. D. SHUMATE. 

